Senior Seminar

This course will focus on the philosophy of why and how science is done and how results are communicated through scientific writing and oral presentations. In addition to learning how to critique scientific research and presentations, students will prepare and present their own topic.

Date	Topic	Reading
Aug. 24	Introduction, Scientific Method
Aug. 31	Philosophy of Science	Platt, 1964
Sept. 7	Why do algae live in animals Gisele Muller-Parker, Western Washington University
Sept. 14	Philosophy of Science	Dayton, 1979
Sept. 21	Monitoring air quality in Oregon: particulate network design Steve Aalbers, Oregon DEQ
Sept. 28	Scientific communication	Pechenik, 1997
Oct. 5	Fish, Houses and Feds, Oh My: The City of Vancouver and The Endangered Species Act Vicky Ridge-Cooney, City of Vancouver
Oct. 12	Invasive plant spread in a tropical forest and temperate estuary. Kama Almasi, Coastal Ecology Branch, EPA, Newport, OR
Oct. 19	Preparing graphics
Oct. 26	Modeling turbulent mixing of oil spills, Eric Sykillingstad, Oregon State University
Nov. 2	Summer Science Undergraduate Fellowship Symposium Trudy Davis: DNA sequence variation in a disease resistant gene of Arabidopsis thaliana. Tabitha Reeder: What factors affect the distribution of a parasitic plant in a Pacific Northwest salt marsh? Vanessa Stevens: Atmospheric methane and climate change during the last millennium
Nov. 9	Preparing graphics
Nov. 16	Quest for coral reefs: a reef monitoring workshop. Brian Tissot, WSU Vancouver
Nov. 23	HOLIDAY
Nov. 30	Student talks
Dec. 7	Student talks